Divico

Divico (fl. 109-58 BC) was the chief of the Tigurini tribe of the Helvetii. In 109 BC, Divico led the Tigurini across the Rhine River to invade Gaul, defeating a Roman army at Burdigala on the Garonne River and slaying consul Lucius Cassius Longinus and general Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus. Eventually, Divico led the Tigurini to the Jura Mountains near Lac Leman in Switzerland, and he attempted to migrate his tribe to Provence in southern France in 58 BC. However, Julius Caesar had lost a relative at Burdigala years before, and he refused, leading to the start of the Gallic Wars and the Helvetic defeat at the Battle of Bibracte. The Helvetii were destitute after the defeat, and the Helvetii dashed towards the Rhine River. However, the local tribes prevented the Helvetii from fleeing after Caesar instructed warned the tribes along the Rhine that they would be accessories to the Helvetic retreat if they did not halt the Helvetii. The Helvetii, Tulingi, and Latobrigi were ordered back to their respective territories, which they had left due to famine; they were certain to face famine upon returning to their homes. 110,000 Helvetii returned home, and the tribe was able to choose its own fertile domain, while the rest of the states around them became Roman tributaries.